Revolver extractor bar question

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  • inchrisin

    Plinker
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    Sep 8, 2015
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    Indianapolis
    I've heard over and over that if you have a fully loaded revolver and you fire one round that it will hang up after hitting the extractor bar. This makes it easy to just reload the round or rounds that you've shot, leaving the unfired rounds in the cylinder.

    I've tried this numerous times and the spent rounds always fall back into the cylinder, same as the unfired rounds. What's the deal?

    Because you'll ask:

    S&W Model 60 357
    Freedom Munitions 125gr brass casings
    Under 500 rounds fired
    Cleaned twice with a generic spray
     

    indiucky

    Grandmaster
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    12   0   0
    I am stumped.....

    I have a S&W Schofield replica that you can kind of extract the empties and the loaded rounds stay in the cylinder (you have to keep pressure on a little button and it prevents all the rounds from ejecting but does extract them) but I have never heard of anyone doing this with a swing out cylinder....Can you explain again what you are trying to do and more importantly why???
     

    IndyDave1776

    Grandmaster
    Emeritus
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    Jan 12, 2012
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    This makes sense. It would work that way if you had dirty cases or chamber walls such that the friction could not be overcome by an empty in order to move, yet a loaded round would have enough weight to overcome that friction.

    Oh, and did that generic spray produce little bar codes all over your gun? :):
     

    inchrisin

    Plinker
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    0   0   0
    Sep 8, 2015
    114
    18
    Indianapolis
    I am stumped.....

    I have a S&W Schofield replica that you can kind of extract the empties and the loaded rounds stay in the cylinder (you have to keep pressure on a little button and it prevents all the rounds from ejecting but does extract them) but I have never heard of anyone doing this with a swing out cylinder....Can you explain again what you are trying to do and more importantly why???

    Sure. I knew I didn't explain that thoroughly. I load up my 5 shot revolver. I squeeze 2 off. In theory, I should be able to open the cylinder up. If I point the gun downwards, I can push the extractor bar most of the way up. I release it. The empty casings should have expanded enough to stay put. The rounds I didn't shoot have enough weight to drop back down into the cylinder. The 2 casings shot should hang up and make it easy to pull them out by hand. I can now reload the 2 spent casings and get a full cylinder quickly. My problem is that the empties fall back into place instead of staying up. No way to tell which ones I've shot unless I look for dimples on primers.
     

    inchrisin

    Plinker
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    0   0   0
    Sep 8, 2015
    114
    18
    Indianapolis
    This makes sense. It would work that way if you had dirty cases or chamber walls such that the friction could not be overcome by an empty in order to move, yet a loaded round would have enough weight to overcome that friction.

    Oh, and did that generic spray produce little bar codes all over your gun? :):

    Lessons learned: I need to scrub my gun with Ballistol, steel wool, and matches. After that I need to stop cleaning my gun. :)
     
    Rating - 100%
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    Aug 23, 2009
    1,822
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    Brainardland
    Sure. I knew I didn't explain that thoroughly. I load up my 5 shot revolver. I squeeze 2 off. In theory, I should be able to open the cylinder up. If I point the gun downwards, I can push the extractor bar most of the way up. I release it. The empty casings should have expanded enough to stay put. The rounds I didn't shoot have enough weight to drop back down into the cylinder. The 2 casings shot should hang up and make it easy to pull them out by hand. I can now reload the 2 spent casings and get a full cylinder quickly. My problem is that the empties fall back into place instead of staying up. No way to tell which ones I've shot unless I look for dimples on primers.

    Are you using a particularly light load?
    In my LEO days when I was carrying a Model 10 we trained in doing partial reloads of the cylinder. The expended cartridge cases ALWAYS remained in place when partially extracted so that we could pluck them out and replace them with a couple of fresh rounds.
     

    SSGSAD

    Grandmaster
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    14   0   0
    Dec 22, 2009
    12,404
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    Town of 900 miles

    Are you using a particularly light load?
    In my LEO days when I was carrying a Model 10 we trained in doing partial reloads of the cylinder. The expended cartridge cases ALWAYS remained in place when partially extracted so that we could pluck them out and replace them with a couple of fresh rounds.

    My S&W, Mod., 19 does that, except when I use my LIGHT reloads .....
     

    Mustang1911

    Marksman
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    Oct 19, 2015
    172
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    Westfield
    The empty casings MIGHT stay sticking up but might not as you've already found out. Just depends on how dirty the chambers are, how tight the chambers are, how "hot" of a load you're shooting, etc. If the casings are tight enough to NEVER drop back into the cylinder also going to be having extraction issues which typically point to an over pressured load.
     

    inchrisin

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Sep 8, 2015
    114
    18
    Indianapolis

    Are you using a particularly light load?
    In my LEO days when I was carrying a Model 10 we trained in doing partial reloads of the cylinder. The expended cartridge cases ALWAYS remained in place when partially extracted so that we could pluck them out and replace them with a couple of fresh rounds.

    125 gr is on the lighter side. I don't think I've checked my 158s. They're not my carry rounds, but we'll see if we can get some more expansion out of them to seal tighter inside the cylinder.
     

    throttletony

    Master
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    Jul 11, 2011
    3,630
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    nearby
    are these 357 rounds or 38 spls??

    In theory it should work as you describe. On My Ruger GP100 the empties hang up a bit if I push the ejector rod about 2/3 of the way up and release it, and then the unspent rounds fall back down into the cylinder.
    (I shoot 158 grainers typically and I let my gun get quite dirty between cleanings -- but the empties seem to hang up even in a freshly cleaned gun IIRC. Also, I notice it more with the 357 magnums, probably just because of the longer cases)
     

    inchrisin

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Sep 8, 2015
    114
    18
    Indianapolis
    are these 357 rounds or 38 spls??

    In theory it should work as you describe. On My Ruger GP100 the empties hang up a bit if I push the ejector rod about 2/3 of the way up and release it, and then the unspent rounds fall back down into the cylinder.
    (I shoot 158 grainers typically and I let my gun get quite dirty between cleanings -- but the empties seem to hang up even in a freshly cleaned gun IIRC. Also, I notice it more with the 357 magnums, probably just because of the longer cases)

    They're 357s. I'll continue to clean the barrel, but I might let the cylinder get a little gummy.
     
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